How do I...?: Copyright

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Q. Can I use material found on the World Wide Web?

Answer

The World Wide Web is subject to copyright, and Web pages are themselves literary works. The articles contained within Web pages are separate literary works, the graphics are artistic works, and any sound files are musical works.

Therefore, the same basic principles that anything original automatically obtains copyright protection, and that infringement occurs when someone copies all, or a substantial part of that material, without permission equally apply as they do for more traditional media. Obtain permission, or decide if an exception would be appropriate.